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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376128">hedged bets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/synthehol_king/pseuds/synthehol_king'>synthehol_king</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Brunt is a bastard, M/M, discussions of feelings (sorta), post-solid Odo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:48:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/synthehol_king/pseuds/synthehol_king</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Forget about Odo.”</p><p>Odo learns who was counting on him the most during the Dominion invasion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brunt/Quark (Star Trek), Odo/Quark (Star Trek)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hedged bets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>cw:</b> unhealthy life choices, implied sex, boundary issues, general unhealthiness of brunt/quark</p><p> </p><p>set sometime after the Federation takes the station back, but pre-Odo/Kira.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every day, at least once a day, Odo curses the fact that he’d been found by a bipedal species.</p><p>Legs are limiting, particularly when you only have two of them. So often he felt the need to just <i>move</i>, without lifting and pulling half of his body in an unnecessary display of mimicry. And while it’s not as if he <i>can’t</i> simply take on a form more suitable to his needs, like a cloud of vapor or, hell, a single wheel rolling down the promenade, it isn’t exactly the most inconspicuous move he could make. </p><p>Running is not allowed on the promenade; he’s made that quite clear to the children and adults of this station (several times just this morning), so he walks briskly. Enough to encourage anyone to move out of the way, but not enough to invite unwanted inquiries about where he was in such a rush to get to. </p><p>And if his legs happened to be stretching just a little longer with each stride, it didn’t look like anyone had noticed.</p><p>He narrowly avoids bumping his head on the sign hanging in front of the Klingon restaurant, turning sharply on the corner down a path that leads to another hallway of civilian quarters; a man on a mission.</p><p>He needs to find Quark.</p><p>—</p><p>The question hadn’t been easy to ask. </p><p>He’d anticipated the shift in Kira’s expression - her mouth would draw into a thin line, her shoulders would stiffen, her eyes would bear down on him like a heavy weight. She’d ask him why he wanted to know, which would lead him to bring up his earlier argument with Quark - the ugly shouting match that had quickly turned icy and quiet. How it started didn’t matter half as much as how it ended.</p><p>
  <i>”I stuck my own brother’s neck out for you, when everyone else was tired of waiting. And I’m getting pretty tired of it myself.”</i>
</p><p>Quark had stormed out, leaving Odo pondering over memories of a bitter taste and other things he’d rather forget. And a question for Major Kira, who was about as close to ‘everyone’ as he could manage to ask in one day.</p><p>He didn’t believe Quark, of course. He doubted Quark’s faith in him had lasted beyond the first night he’d spent in the Link. He wasn’t naive enough to think that Kira’s had held out till the end either - he’d rightfully lost the privilege of her trust, and he still wasn’t fully convinced that he’d earned it back. But he’d have hedged his bets that between the two of them, he knew who’d held out hope for his loyalty the longest.</p><p>Her answer leaves him reeling, and thankful that he is not a betting man.</p><p>—-</p><p>He knows Quark’s quarters as well as his own, neglecting a second glance at the numbered plates beside each door. The late hour has gifted him some privacy - the hall is empty, so no one is there to find amusement or concern at how loudly he’s knocking on Quark’s door.</p><p>He doesn’t know what he’ll say when Quark answers the door. He has no plan, and no clear motive for being here. But he has a strong desire to reach out and grip Quark by the shoulders and find some way to impress upon him that he understands, he <i>knows</i>, and he’s sorry for not realizing it sooner.</p><p>His hands twitch at his sides when he hears footsteps.</p><p>When the door slides open, he nearly trips on his own momentum, lurching backwards  when he realizes who it is.</p><p>The Ferengi who answers the door is taller than Quark. His shoulders are sharper, outlined by the rich fabric of a suit that even Odo’s untrained eye can tell is far too expensive for Quark’s earnings. He does not greet Odo with amusement or familiarity, but instead with a suspicious glare, and the kind of annoyance that comes from being interrupted. </p><p>“Can I help you?” Brunt asks.</p><p>It takes him a minute to find the authority that usually accompanies his voice. “I’m looking for Quark.”</p><p>“He’s busy. He has company,” Brunt answers, and maybe it’s his imagination, but it looks like a dry, smug little smirk has made itself at home on his face. Odo wonders how many times he’s had it wiped off.</p><p>“I wasn’t aware the FCA made calls this late,” Odo says, staring him down. He was quite a bit taller than Brunt to begin with, and if the other notices the few extra centimeters he’s tacked on, he doesn’t look too impressed.</p><p>“We’ve been known to make exceptions,” he says, hand on the door panel. “Not that it’s any of your concern. Now, if you will excuse me - “</p><p>“As chief of security on this station, it <i>is</i> my concern, actually,” Odo places his hand on the door frame, wedging his foot in for good measure. “Particularly if you happen to be traveling with a certain pair of Naussicans. Or do you expect me to believe that the FCA would send <i>you</i> alone at this hour?”</p><p>At least he has the decency to look insulted. Brunt waves his hand, tossing his head back with an aggressive eye roll. “I’m not here on FCA business,” he hisses, sticking his head past the doorframe to risk a furtive glance down the hallway. The gap between them has grown far too narrow for Odo’s liking - his skin roils when he glares up at him again. Odo remembers the taste of bile, and his face hardens.</p><p>“Then <i>why</i> are you here?”</p><p>“Because he was invited.”</p><p>The sound of Quark’s voice cuts the cord between them, and they turn sharply. An annoyed and tired-looking Quark appears at Brunt’s side from further inside his quarters. The lack of his formal jacket over his button-down and vest seems to embarrass Brunt, and silences Odo. It’s hardly revealing, but he rarely sees Quark in less, and he wonders if he’d already hung the jacket in his closet. In the bedroom.</p><p>The bitter pill turns where his stomach should be.</p><p>“Brunt, please excuse us for a moment,” Quark doesn’t look at him, but nods his head in the direction of his room, a confirmation Odo really didn’t need or want. After a moment’s hesitation, Brunt does as he’s told, leaving the two of them staring at each other in silence.</p><p>“What do you want?”</p><p>Quark is trying to sound irritated, but there’s no bite to his tone, only exhaustion. He’d expected to find him half-asleep, or better yet, still simmering from this afternoon. Not tired and bitter and instigating a hook up with the absolute worst choice his little black book had to offer. He’d come without a plan, and somehow still arrived more unprepared than he’d intended</p><p>“I - are you alright?” Odo finally asks.</p><p>Quark knits his brow. “Yes? Why wouldn’t I be?” When Odo gestures in the direction Brunt had walked off in, Quark snorts. “What, with him? Please. He’s hardly a threat, unless he’s got an audit form in his hand. Plus, I know where he’s ticklish.”</p><p>Odo feels himself twitch, and wonders if he can still blush. He hopes not. He’s doing his best to keep from stuttering when he replies, “Do you want him here?”</p><p>Quark laughs, but he still looks confused and annoyed by the question. “Yes, Odo. I want him here. Do you need me to sign something for you?”</p><p>Now it’s Odo’s turn to look confused. “<i>Why</i>?” He quickly interrupts the beginnings of a suggestive bit of sarcasm. “He tried to kill you, Quark. Twice.”</p><p>“Once,” Quark insists, and Odo scoffs. “You can hardly call it ‘attempted’ murder if a Naussican does it. If he wanted me dead, I would have been dead. And if I started cutting people off every time they tried to have me killed, I’d hardly be maintaining the wide social circle I do now.”</p><p>“Do you really have so little regard for yourself - ” Odo starts, unable to stop himself. Quark cuts him off.</p><p>“Yes, in fact I do. I have so little regard for myself that I’ve wasted the past nine years standing here talking to you,” Quark snaps. “And you’re absolutely right. I should really reconsider who I decide to hitch my wagon to. Starting right now, tonight.”</p><p>The quiet sound of the door sliding shut is hardly as dramatic as he’s sure Quark hoped it would be, but it startles him nonetheless. He’s left standing alone, impossibly still. Unmoving, and internally silent.</p><p>His organs are gone, his blood flow nonexistent. His senses are limited to an awareness of depth and texture. But he swears he can feel a deepening ache where his chest used to be, and he wonders how he’s going to make it stop.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I always got really hung up over the fact that Quark was still holding out hope for Odo during the Dominion invasion. :’c</p></blockquote></div></div>
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